Anyone who has studied the history of the Beatles knows how important the city was for their musical and personal development. Here they became men. And here they got the routine on their instruments that they needed to conquer the world shortly afterwards.
Of course, the Beatles also appear in “Hamburg Vinyl”. The illustrated book published by Bernd Jonkmanns (photos) and Christoph Dallach (text) shows a very special side of the Hanseatic city: It shows 33 Hamburg covers and tells the story of how they came about.
Music stories from Hamburg
In addition to albums by the Beatles and John Lennon, a lot of other album covers were created here by artists who are not usually associated with the city on the Elbe. For example the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sonny & Cher or the New York Dolls.
Each of the 33 albums is presented at the exact location where the image or music was created. The contemporary historical context is reconstructed and how the photo came about is described. The book is also a cultural and musical history, peppered with exciting anecdotes from some of the most fascinating artists.
The journey begins in 1963 with Freddy Quinn and ends in the present, exploring a wide variety of musical styles and through the entire city. Anyone who has read the illustrated book will feel like reaching into the record shelf and putting on an LP or CD. With their project, Bernd Jonkmanns and Christoph Dallach have certainly fulfilled what the beginners announced in 2016: “We’re putting Hamburg back on the map.”
“Hamburg Vinyl” is released in Junius Publishers and costs 24.90 euros.